I had once been an atheist actor in the entertainment industry and my purpose in life had been defined by my resume. In 2004, Christ Jesus saved me from myself. I now preach GOD's Word and my purpose is found in dying to myself daily while living for others.
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ ”
(Genesis 2:16-17) -ESV
Prosecution:
There exists four common objections to this specific Scripture:
If GOD is truly omnipresent (everywhere at all times) and omniscient (all-knowing), then why would GOD put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden if He knew Adam and Eve would sin while He was not around?
Even if GOD is truly omniscient and omnipresent, GOD cannot be truly omnibenevolent (all-good) because GOD didn’t care enough to prevent the serpent from tempting Adam and Eve and thus prevent them from falling into sin. If GOD is a good Father, He would protect His children, not banish them out of the garden for something He caused out from His own negligence.
Even if GOD is truly omnipresent, omniscient and omnibenevolent, GOD cannot be omnipotent (all-powerful) because GOD did not prevent the serpent from causing Adam and Eve to sin.
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and did not die as Scripture promised. That’s an obvious contradiction!
Cross-examination:
“The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins.”
(Proverbs 18:17) -NLT
Defense:
The skeptic is right to first call attention to the nature of GOD. For unless we understand who GOD is, we will never understand the reasoning behind anything in the Bible. Knowing that GOD’s thoughts and ways are far higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9), it is reasonable to expect that we will not understand everything. If your 3-pound, 15-centimeter brain could contain all knowledge about a god, then that god would be too small to be the real GOD. As it is, we don’t even possess all knowledge about the ocean within our own planet, much less the entire universe where our infinitesimal planet swirls about within our galaxy. So, do you truly expect to know everything about the one true GOD who created the entire universe? In the future, on the New Earth under the new heavens, when we meet Him face-to-face, I believe we will be given the wisdom to understand all that happened in the past; however, I do not believe we can presently know absolutely everything there is to know about GOD in this limited lifetime of learning during our process of sanctification. For this reason, it is written in 1Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
But with that said, GOD has given us information from revelation in the form of GOD’s Word to provide us with answers to difficult questions. Granted, the skeptics will not trust the information from the Bible unless the Bible can be shown to be reliable and accurate. The investigation will reveal that the Bible is actually not full of contradictions, only apparent contradictions that require explanations. But even when the Bible can be acknowledged as reliable and accurate, one still needs to know if the Bible should be taken literally. Only after coming to the conclusion that the Bible is not only reliable and accurate but that the Bible is also inspired by GOD, the revelation can be trusted and then understood with the help from the Holy Spirit who speaks Truth and reveals Truth (John 14:26; 15:26; 1Corinthians 2:10).
So, it is first important to understand who we are talking about – the Creator GOD and the Source of all that exists. Second, we need to understand what we are talking about – GOD’s perfect plan! GOD has not chosen to reveal every detail of His plan to us all at once (Exodus 6:2-3; Matthew 24:36; 25:13; Mark 4:41; John 16:12; Acts 1:7; 1Corinthians 13:12). We can only know what He chooses to reveal. And, since we are part of that plan, we are responsible to it, even if we do not fully understand it or agree with it at times. However, there are some things GOD has revealed to us:
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not a bad tree. Everything that GOD made – including the tree – was “good” (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25). In fact, after creating Adam and Eve, creation was declared to be “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The origin of sin in this story came from the serpent, Adam, and Eve; the tree did not sin; the tree was good for the specific purpose for which it had been created.
Adam and Eve had every reason to trust GOD. The Creator did a good job creating them, and He placed them in a beautiful location where they had everything they needed. GOD was trustworthy, but Adam and Eve chose not to trust GOD.
Adam and Eve were created with freedom in mind. GOD places high value on our choice to obey Him, and He created Adam and Eve with freedom so that obedience would be possible. Life without freedom is not really life at all. GOD wisely gave them freedom, but Adam and Eve abused that freedom.
Adam and Eve were not ignorant of GOD’s boundaries. Just as wise teachers test their students on what they’ve learned and parents test their children with new responsibilities, GOD tested Adam and Eve in their obedience. However, GOD didn’t test them on what they didn’t know. They knew which tree was off limits, and they knew the consequences if they ate from it. The rules were plain, but they violated the rules anyway.
GOD provided for Adam and Eve. Before GOD told them not to eat of the tree, He told them they were “free to eat” of every other tree in the garden (Genesis 2:16). They were not in danger of starving, nor were they deprived of variety. They had an all-you-can-eat buffet in the garden, but Adam and Eve chose to place their focus on what they did not have rather than on what they did have.
The decision to sin opened the eyes of both Adam and Eve to the reality of evil. For the first time, they knew what it was to do evil, to feel shame, and to want to hide from GOD. Their sin of disobeying GOD brought corruption into their lives and into the world. Eating the fruit, as an act of disobedience against GOD, was what gave Adam and Eve the knowledge of evil – and the knowledge of their nakedness (Genesis 3:7-13).
Adam and Eve did die just as Scripture promised. The Fall was a separation which led to an eventual physical death of Adam and Eve. The physical death wasn’t immediate though the spiritual death was immediate. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
GOD’s perfect plan is much bigger than the original garden of Eden. His plan for His creation and His people did not end when Adam and Eve sinned. In fact, GOD’s plan from the very beginning was to redeem His people and His creation. The drama of the Fall and redemption could never have happened if the tree had not been in the garden. Indeed, GOD did know that Adam and Eve would sin and fall, but GOD’s plan was bigger than their sin.
Reasonable Response:
But why did GOD allow the sin? How could the permitting of the Fall be in alignment with the nature of the all-good, loving, and perfectly Holy GOD? From the first half of Romans 6:23, we know that the wages of sin is death; however, the other half of that verse provides the key to understanding why GOD permitted the Fall: “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The response to the perceived problem of the forbidden fruit is as follows:
GOD is love (1John 4:8,16)
GOD created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and thus created us out from love for the purpose to love (Matthew 22:36-40).
GOD desires for us to know Him and for us to have a loving relationship with Him (Matthew 6:33).
For a mutual loving relationship to exist, free will is absolutely necessary.
From GOD’s omniscience, He knew that free will would be absolutely necessary; therefore, He gave us the great gift of free will.
Because GOD is omnibenevolent, He gives us free will and permits the consequences that come from created beings who possess free will.
Through GOD’s omnipresence and omnipotence, He created miracles in order to release the Israelites from slavery, set them up as a free people, and instituted the commandments and sacrificial system in order to reveal the standards of Holy perfection that are impossible to keep through a fallen and sinful people.
GOD set up the sacrificial system so that He could become the willing ultimate sacrifice on our behalf to atone for our sins, doing what we could never do on our own. For this reason, it is written in John 3:16-17, “16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
Closing Statement:
Understanding that GOD is wisdom enables us to put everything into proper perspective in order to help us see that GOD foresaw the Fall from free will. The Father’s wise, good plan included sending the Son into the world that Adam and Eve ruined. Think about it: from eternity past, GOD ordained that Jesus would become the victim of His own plan (Revelation 5). For this reason, it is written in John 10:17-18, “17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
The Good News (the Gospel) is that He guaranteed our redemption by His sacrificial crucifixion and miraculous resurrection. GOD foresaw the separation and created in advance the relentless rescue operation to build the bridge of salvation for our redemption. That’s how much GOD loves us. GOD did for us what we could never do by our own efforts. GOD loves us so much that He allowed us the freedom to choose wrong so that He can help us to see what is right. GOD has allowed us to experience the Fall, evil, and pain and suffering so that we can be grateful for the life that is to come. This limited lifetime of learning through our process of sanctification will become our comparison for completeness in Christ. And when we’re finally with Him, Adam and Eve will probably be the first ones to tell you that GOD’s commands are for our good, not to restrict us. On this present earth, which is destined for destruction by fire (Psalm 97:3-5; Isaiah 64:1-2; Amos 9:5; Micah 1:4; Nahum 1:5-6; 2Peter 3:7,10,12), GOD is showing us that the best humans can have apart from Him is pain and suffering. We ruin everything and that’s why we need Him. And that should be more than enough reason to trust in GOD on the New Earth under the new heavens where only righteousness dwells (2Peter 3:13; Revelation 20:15; 21:3-8,27). Death is merely graduation into the real life. Where we end up will be our choice. And that’s why Hell is justified. GOD loves you so much that He is going to allow you to choose where you end up: Heaven or Hell. So, what will you choose? GOD’s desire is that you will choose blessing over curse, life over death, good over evil, and that you will repent and live (Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 30:15-20; Ezekiel 18; Matthew 11:20; 12:41; Mark 1:15; 6:12; Luke 5:32; 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; 17:30).
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ”
(John 14:6) -ESV
GOD desires for all people to be saved (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9; John 3:16-17). However,do you need to be saved?
Many say that all sins are equal in the eyes of GOD. But is that true? In 1Kings 16:30, it is written that Ahab the son of Omri committed more evil than all who were before him. In 2Chronicles 33:9, it is written that “Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.” Jeremiah the prophet believed that some sins are more heinous than others (Jeremiah 16:12). In fact, Old Testament law made provision for different kinds of sins, such as unintentional versus high-handed or intentional sins (Numbers 15:22-31). A good example of how two different sins are not equal can be seen in Exodus 1:15-22 when Pharaoh ordered that all newborn males be murdered yet the Hebrew midwives lied to Pharaoh in order to save those babies’ lives. Even though lying is a sin, lying to someone who is evil in order to save the lives of many innocent people is a lesser sin. As it turns out, I wrote an article on that: “GOD: Lord of the Lies?”
Even Jesus spoke of the “weightier” matters of the law (Matthew 23:23) and of lesser and greater degrees of punishment for different kinds of sin (Matthew 10:15; Luke 12:47-48; John 19:11). And 1John 5:16-17 distinguishes sin that leads to death from other sins.
Now, in Matthew 5:21-28, Jesus equates committing adultery with having lust in your heart and committing murder with having hatred in your heart.
In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus informs us that all sins can be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will not be forgiven. As it turns out, I wrote an article on that: “The Unforgivable Sin.” So in this sense, not all sins are equal. However, in regard to both eternal consequences and salvation, all sins are the same in that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). It is for this reason that “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). And it is written that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
So, are all sins equal in the eyes of GOD? Yes and no. There are different degrees of sin we commit during our lifetime here on this earth. Obviously an adult raping and murdering an innocent child is much worse than an adult who lies to a Nazi soldier in order to save the lives of some Jewish people in hiding. However, in the bigger picture of salvation and eternity, all sins separate us from the one and only Holy GOD. The entire sacrificial system of the Old Covenant highlighted everyone’s sins and showcased their inability to save themselves, which revealed the need for a Savior in whom we can place our faith. It is for this reason it is written in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Our sins separated us and then Jesus did what we could never do by our own efforts by willingly becoming the perfect eternal sacrifice on our behalf (John 10:18; Hebrews 5:6-10; 7:18-28).
In conclusion, not all sins are equal in degrees of wickedness in this temporal life here on this earth; however, all sins are equal in that they separate us from an eternal relationship with the Lord on the new earth under the new heavens unless our sins are forgiven by GOD’s grace through our faith in Christ’s finished works.
So, are all sins equal in the eyes of GOD? No, but yes. Some sins that humans commit are more evil than others; however, all sin is unrighteousness in the eyes of a Holy GOD. The question is this: have you truly repented of your sins? If not, now is the time. As it turns out, I wrote an article on that: “Repentance.” Time is running out.
If you prefer to read this article rather than watch the video, the words are below:
In the Old Testament, Israel had several annual festivals that were designed to remind the people of the goodness of GOD and the need to worship GOD and GOD alone. These festivals were for reflection, rest, holy assembly, and celebration. In Leviticus 23, there is a Biblical calendar for these festivals which begins with Passover. And right in the middle of these festivals is Shavuot. But, what is Shavuot? Shavuot means weeks, and this is also why it’s called the Festival/Feast of Weeks. So, let’s read what is written about this Feast of Weeks and let us harvest a blessing from this:
(Leviticus 23:15-22) -NLT “15 “From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks. 16 Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the Lord from the first of your crops. 18 Along with the bread, present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the Lord. These burnt offerings, together with the grain offerings and liquid offerings, will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19 Then you must offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering. 20 “The priest will lift up the two lambs as a special offering to the Lord, together with the loaves representing the first of your crops. These offerings, which are holy to the Lord, belong to the priests. 21 That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. 22 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”
Prayer: In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, I pray. GOD Almighty please guide us and align our thoughts with Your will. Holy Spirit, You are welcome here! Fill our hearts with conviction and our minds with divine revelation. Lord, please open our ears so that we may hear Your voice over all the noise of this world. Please open our eyes and give us spiritual sight so that we may see the depth beyond the surface, the Truth beyond all the lies. Lord, please touch the core of our inner being and move us into action according to Your written Word. Father, I pray, that after hearing this Word, that not one person will continue with the rest of this day without being changed within and challenged to live a life that outwardly reflects the change within. Right now, I surrender everything that is preventing me from seeking first Your Kingdom. I’m going to make a bold and courageous commitment right now to stop whatever it is that I’m doing so that I can completely focus on hearing Your Word and obeying Your Word so that I may be the person you have called me to be and reach my full potential. Holy Spirit, help people to hear this message today, understand how to apply it to their lives, and then embolden them to do what they know they should do. Amen.
Jewish tradition states this is when the Law (instructions) was given to them on Mt. Sinai. It was seven weeks after coming out of Egypt after the Passover. The Feast of Weeks is a harvest festival. Shavuot is the completion of what was started at Passover. 50 days later. 7 weeks. And then the day after is the 50th day.
According to Jewish tradition, the Law was given in mixed languages so that everyone could understand (Exodus 20:18), spoken through the thunders (voices). But what we do know is that there were foreigners traveling with the Israelites (Numbers 11:4), and so there probably was a need for more than one language. We also know that the Holy Spirit was given to people on Shavuot, which is pentecost. And again at Pentecost, different languages were spoken so that everyone would understand (Acts 2). So, that parallel makes sense.
There are many parallels for Shavuot and Pentecost. It took 50 days from Passover until the Israelites received the Law (instructions) at Mt. Sinai. And it was 50 days from Jesus’s resurrection to Pentecost when the disciples received guidance or instructions. But here’s something important to note: from the day the Israelites were given grace and set free from Egypt until the day they received the Law, their walk with GOD was difficult. Likewise, from the day when we were given grace and set free due to Christ’s death on Passover (by the blood of the Lamb) until the day the Holy Spirit filled the apostles 50 days later, their journey was difficult. Our journey is not easy. So, let’s not come to the foolish conclusion that many prosperity Gospel teachers have done by saying our journey is meant for joy and prosperity, etc. No— there will be pain and suffering. We will have to endure trials and tribulations. We’ve been warned of this in advance even by the Lord Himself.
Anyway, there are many parallels for Shavuot and Pentecost. This shouldn’t be surprising since they are in fact the same day. Now think: what happened after the Law had been written for the Israelites? We read in Exodus 32:19-35 that the Law was immediately broken, 3,000 people died, and then Moses went to GOD to try to intercede for the people but GOD did not accept Moses’ intercession due to sin. Now, what happened after the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on this same day many years later? We read in Acts 2 that the Holy Spirit helped them fulfill the Law, 3,000 people were saved, and it was because Jesus ascended to GOD to intercede for us on our behalf. So, in the former scenario, we see that the people of GOD died due to disobedience out from sin and there was no way to make ourselves right with GOD. In the latter scenario, we see that the people of GOD eventually died, but it was by persecution due to obedience. But the second half brought salvation rather than condemnation. But either way, the parallels show us that the struggle is real up until the very end. Christians will endure until they come into the true Promised Land, which is the new earth under the new heavens.
(Exodus 24:7-8) -ESV “7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
In Exodus 24:3, it is written that in response to GOD’s commands, all the people answered with one voice. This is important because unity is necessary for efficient and effective teamwork. Though we are many parts, we are one body and we must work together if we are to act according to the Design (1Corinthians 12). A kingdom/house divided cannot stand and will fall (Matthew 12:25; Mark 3:24-25; Luke 11:17). In fact, Paul pleaded with everyone that the church never be divided (1Corinthians 1:10-17). And then in Exodus 24:7, Moses took the Book of Covenant and read it aloud to the people. GOD’s Word should be spoken and heard. GOD’s Word. Our words can help others understand and guid them up, but it’s GOD’s Word that will change lives. Again, there are too many churches who preach false promises of prosperity in order to get money from people. There are even many churches who preach motivational or inspirational messages — which is fine — but yet they neglect GOD’s Word! There is only one reason to preach a message and it’s to share the Good News of GOD’s Word. (If you remember to do this, read Nehemiah 8 and contemplate your own commitment to the Word.) This chapter concludes with Moses splattering blood over the people and then going to meet with the Lord on behalf of the people. This act represents the fact that the sacrificial blood of Christ covers us and saves us from death just as the blood covered the people in the Passover (Exodus 12; Hebrews 9:9-10:28).
Now, it is the book of Covenant. The covenant is the betrothal, the marriage contract agreement to be faithful until the consummation of the marriage. It’s a promise. In Exodus 19:11-19, GOD told the people to wash themselves and consecrate themselves and be ready for the arrival of the Lord. Likewise, we are instructed to wash ourselves with the Word and to be holy in preparation for Christ’s second coming. Jeremiah 2:2 tells us that Israel was betrothed to the Lord but then by their own free will, they chose to be unfaithful and ended up separating themselves from GOD in exile. But the entire book of Hosea reveals to us that all of Israel were whores and did not ever remain faithful. All throughout Scripture, the church is the Bride of Christ. Hosea is GOD, we are the prostitute the Lord redeemed and continued to love despite our unfaithfulness. The Lord redeemed us by paying the price for us to set us free from sin once and for all.
However, Jesus will return a second time. And when it is time for the second coming of Christ, will the Lord find His bride ready and faithful or will the Lord show up unexpected and discover a whore? On Shavuot, people typically read the book of Ruth because it’s the love story which contrasts the book of Hosea. In fact, in Leviticus 23:22, we see Ruth just as she was in Ruth 2. But just as we were the whore in the tragic story of Hosea, we are also Ruth and GOD takes us in even though we don’t really deserve it. Ponder: 3,000 died because Moses returned to unfaithfulness. It’s symbolic for Christ’s return and the fact is that He will find unfaithfulness when He returns. It’s going to happen. But are you going to be one of the unfaithful? In fact, at Harvest time, the weeds are going to be separated and thrown into the fire. Shavuot is also known as the day of Matan. This is when the Bridegroom sends a gift to the Bride who is currently separated from him as a comfort that they will soon be together. The gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (which is Shavuot) was the gift from the Bridegroom (Christ) to the Bride (church) to comfort us until we are together. In fact, Jesus told us this:
(John 14:1-6) -NLT “ ‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.’ 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
There is a great Harvest happening, but where are the workers? Examine another parallel:
(Numbers 11:24-29) -NLT “So Moses went out and reported the Lord’s words to the people. He gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the Tabernacle. 25 And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again. 26 Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Spirit rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since his youth, protested, “Moses, my master, make them stop!” 29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!”
(Luke 10:1-3) -NLT “The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2 These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.”
The Holy Spirit was there in the Old Covenant and also the New Covenant. There were 72 elders who received the Holy Spirit and Jesus empowered and sent out 72 disciples. Shavuot is about the first fruits of this particular harvest. Now if you were to do what the Hebrews did for Shavuot, you would wave wheat. If you look at the entire gathering of people doing this, it would look like a field ripe for harvest. And that is how we, as Christians, should see everyone: every single person is someone GOD wants to be saved. Prophetically, this is where we are. Moses desired that everyone would have the Holy Spirit rest on them. And since Pentecost, all believers should have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. What is to come is the trumpet and end of days where there will be a final atonement. There will be a final Harvest at the end of days. But for now, the harvest is plentiful and we must pray for the laborers for the field — the mission field. Moses and the 72 elders foreshadowed Jesus and the 72 disciples. The disciples going out into the world foreshadowed the Pentecost, which is Shavuot. And the disciples at Pentecost are the first fruits dedicated to the Lord, and so may the Harvest be plentiful because it is declared Holy unto GOD. And that’s why they spoke in multiple languages. They represent all people being saved from all nations, just as GOD desires (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9). And all nations and all people being Harvested is seen in Revelation 5:9-11; 7:9. The Harvest is discussed in Revelation 14:14-20. We are in the last days and there will soon be a final Harvest. We know we’re in the last days because Peter proclaimed they were in the last days (Acts 2:14-21). Now, if they were in the last days, then we are in the last of the last days. The best way to understand the Harvest is to read what is written in Scripture regarding the event (Isaiah 24:13; Micah 7:1-7; Matthew 3:12; 10:32-33; 13:29-30,37-43,47-50; 24:31; 25:41-46; Luke 3:17).
Here’s something else that’s interesting. Shavuot is 7 Sabbaths after Passover and on the 50th day. It is written in Leviticus 25:1-7 that every seven years, the land is to have a Sabbath and have complete rest. And after 7 land Sabbaths, the 50th year is Jubilee, which is complete restoration, the cancelling of all debts and freeing of all slaves. It’s a mini model of what is and what is to come. And the Jubilee is a picture of when we finally come into our full forgiveness of debt and dwell with the Lord on the new earth under the new heavens with complete restoration. Shavuot is also called the day of proclamation. Passover completed the redemption work for us, but it’s not complete until we proclaim what has been done. And we should be proclaiming the Good News! Why? Because it’s Good News! Which is exactly what Peter did at Pentecost and what we are called to do still to this day via the great commission.
(John 14:26) -ESV “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
(Acts 2:1-4) -ESV “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
When the Law (instructions) was first given, it was written on stone. But at Pentecost, the Law was written on stony hearts, making them hearts of flesh, to be wise and understanding. Thus fulfilling prophecy:
(Jeremiah 31:33) -ESV “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
(Ezekiel 36:26-27) -ESV “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
So, we should be guided by the Spirit. But let’s talk about the sinful nature and living without the Spirit.
(1Corinthians 15:56-57) -NLT “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Romans 2:13) NLT “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.”
But we are incapable of perfectly living out the law in our sinful nature. Everything GOD set up in the Old Testament with all the Laws, rules, regulations, sacrificial systems, etc. All of it existed just to show us that we cannot do it on our own.
(Romans 3:19-20) -NLT “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
(Romans 4:15) -NLT “For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)”
(Romans 5:20-21) -NLT “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
And then Romans 6 is all about sin. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? NO! We must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? NO! If we practice sin, we are a slave to sin. Thus, we practice righteousness by allowing ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit. But of course, we don’t do this perfectly.
(Romans 7:4 – 8:18) -NLT “So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. 7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. 13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. 14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. 12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
We have the Holy Spirit living within us! That’s what this day is about! Shavuot and Pentecost are the same day. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us! And thus, it is written:
(1John 4:4) -ESV “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
GOD didn’t want to have the Law (or instructions) written on stone outside us; rather, GOD always desired to have His Law (instructions) written within us on our hearts. GOD didn’t want to dwell in a place outside us; rather, GOD always desired to dwell within us and us in Him. Yet we, the unfaithful, had another love in our hearts and we said we had no room for the Lord. Does that sound familiar? It should. In Luke 2:7 we see that the inn had no room for Jesus while He was in Mary’s womb and so He was cast outside in a manger. For all of our lives that is what we have done to the Lord. If only they would have known who He was, they would have made room for Him; they would have invited Him in. Interestingly enough, just as it is all throughout the Bible, there will be a great reversal. Revelation 3:20 tells us that Jesus stands at the door and knocks. If you open the door, He will enter and you will share a meal with Him. But if you refuse and have no room for the Lord and cast Him out, in a great reversal, you will choose to cast yourself out of the Kingdom.
You must understand the powerful significance of Shavuot. It’s Pentecost. Pentecost gets its name from the number 50— the 50th day. It’s the Day of Proclamation. The completion of Passover. GOD was literally dying to be with you. But many people had died because they were unable to be with the Holy GOD. But that’s how much the Lord loves us. Jesus absorbed everything and willingly died a sacrificial death so that the Holiness of GOD could dwell within you and you will be able to dwell with GOD. The Israelites were told they would die by simply touching the mountain where GOD happened to be. Because GOD is that Holy that sin cannot be where He is. GOD warned Moses and the people that anyone who touched the mountain would be put to death (Exodus 19:12, 21-22). This wasn’t a threat — it was a promise. Essentially, GOD is so holy we cannot approach Him in our sin. We can only get so close, but not any closer. It would be like a warning to someone not to touch an electric fence. The electric fence isn’t trying to be evil or do harm, it is simply electric. A person who touched the electric fence after being warned not to would suffer the consequence of doing so. We simply cannot approach GOD in our own power (Matthew 19:25-26; Mark 10:26-27). However, in the great reversal, we can now approach GOD at any time because of Jesus being our Mediator! Rather than us trying to get to GOD on the 3rd day, Jesus came to us on the 3rd day (Hebrews 12:18-24). And Christ will be coming again in the same way He ascended (Acts 1:10-11).
Darkness cannot be where light is. But that same Holy GOD now dwells in us via the Holy Spirit. And this is why it is written in 1Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
And Deuteronomy 5:29 reveals this was GOD’s plan all along: “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!”
Are we to take this for granted? All that we have within us is just overwhelming: we were given life, free will, and yet the holiest of Holy — the Holy Spirit — dwelling within us to help guide us. The Holy GOD paid the price Himself to redeem us just so He could be with us and us with Him. I know that I have done nothing to deserve that unmeasurable love. This revelation should humble us and fill our hearts with gratitude and love for the Lord. Both Joel 2:13 and 1Samuel 16:7 tell us that GOD is concerned about our hearts.
(Proverbs 4:23) -NLT “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
(John 7:38-39) -NLT “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)”
So, how is your heart right now? If it’s hardened, you need the Holy Spirit to dwell within you and change your heart of stone into a heart of flesh. With the amount of evil I’ve done with body, I should be like that ancient Hebrew who would die by merely touching the mountain GOD rested upon. But now, thousands of years have passed. Countless of faithful and obedient people have suffered, endured, and died doing all the hard work for us. We are harvesting what we did not sow. It couldn’t be easier. So many people have died just so that we would be able to merely hold GOD’s Word in our hands. And Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself because He knew that we were incapable of saving ourselves. Literally, all the hard work has been done. All you have to do is live by faith, doing three simple things: Matthew 22:36-40 tells us that we are to love GOD with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love others as we would love ourselves. And finally, Matthew 28:19-20 tells us that we are to do the great commission, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that the Lord commanded us. Love GOD, love others, and share the Good News. It couldn’t be easier.
Shavuot. The field is ripe for harvest. But we need more workers. So, it’s time to put your faith into action. After all, it is written in James 2:14-26 that faith without works is dead and useless. Our faith should launch us into action.
Are you thankful for GOD’s Law? It shows us what is good and what is right. Are you grateful for Christ’s sacrificial death? Now we’re no longer bound by the Law but we’re under grace. Are you thankful for the Holy Spirit dwelling within you and guiding you? Now you don’t have to place your focus on what not to do all the time; rather, you are led by the Spirit and focused on what you are compelled to do. If you love GOD and love others, then you need to go out and share the Gospel. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Go. And remember: the Lord will be with you until the end of age.
Closing prayer: Lord, I’m ready to completely submit my life to You and Your will. I repent for taking the Holy Spirit for granted. I recognize that my body is the temple for the Holy Spirit and I proclaim that I am not going to defile this temple and I am going to use my body to accomplish righteousness while sharing the Good News. Christ Jesus, I confess that You are Lord and Savior. You willingly sacrificed Yourself on the cross, saved me from myself, redeemed me from my sins, rose again on the third day, conquered death forever, and gave me a clean slate. I am a new creation in Christ now that the blood of my Savior has cleansed me from my sins. You died for me. I will live for You! Right now, I invite You — Holy Spirit — to live within me and fill me with spiritual gifts and to guide me and direct me. From now on, I will seek first the Kingdom of GOD, and I will take up my cross and follow You! Amen!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord see you, smile, and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you peace. You’re loved. You matter. You exist for a reason and for a specific purpose. May you seek first the Kingdom of GOD in all you do.
And again, I am Pastor Trenton Gill from Pointless Thorns Ministry. If you need to listen to this message again or want to share this message with anyone, it’s going to be uploaded to my YouTube channel. Simply search the username: PointlessThorns.
And again, I’m a new pastor. I graduated Bible College & Seminary, but I don’t even have a church building yet. I work a full time job and then try to do full time ministry on my part time hours after I work a full time job. I run my ministry out from home as of now. So, if you feel led to sowing a seed of financial blessing to me in order to help me launch my church, you would be sowing into a great work for the Kingdom of GOD. And one way you can do that is to buy my book that just got published and is available on Amazon. It’s called “Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual”. Basically, my book is often illustrated like a comic book but it’s written like a college textbook. There’s 610 pages, 110 full page colored illustrations. There are 43 lessons, 43 mini-quizzes, and one final test at the end. And a diploma at the end of the book — you can earn a degree in Superheroism. Superficially, this book trains people how to be real life superheroes. But the depth beyond the surface is that it is a training manual on how to be a dedicated disciple and a Christian completely committed to the great commission! If you want to reach your full potential, this book is for you! For more information about my book and to order it, go to my website: www.SuperheroUniversity.net.
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 23 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems. In Part 13, we saw that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors! In Part 14, we saw that true superheroes do not have identity crises – they know who they are even if others don’t! In Part 15, we saw that superheroes are always ready to fight evil with the belt of Truth. In Part 16, we saw that superheroes are always ready to resist evil by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. In Part 17, we saw that superheroes are always ready to walk with purpose. In Part 18, we saw that superheroes are always ready to deflect the enemy’s attacks by holding up the shield of faith. In Part 19, we saw that by wearing the helmet of salvation, superheroes always protect themselves from evil penetrating their minds with parasitic seeds of thought that contaminate, corrupt, and control. In Part 20, we saw that by using the Sword of the Spirit, superheroes can not only block the enemy’s attacks, but also drive the enemy away. In Part 21, we saw that it matters to whom we pray. In Part 22, we saw that prayer has a purpose; furthermore, persistent and purposeful prayer with proper priority is a powerful weapon for the Savior’s superheroes.
In this message (Part 23), we will see that the Savior’s superheroes do possess superpowers even though they are often taken for granted.
As I have shown thus far, superheroes share many of the same qualities that average humans possess. But how do superheroes relate to us in reality if they have superpowers and real human beings do not? Many people love superheroes (myself included) because they possess special superpowers and they end up helping people or even saving people. Perhaps some people like superheroes because they envy the superheroes’ superpowers. In my younger years, the topic of superpowers had often sparked debates between my friends and I. We would often ask each other, “If you could have any one superpower, what would it be and why?” At that time in my youth, I had always desired to have the superpower of teleportation so that I could go anywhere at any time. And if I’m being honest, I still want to have that power today. (After all, who wants to sit in traffic behind a long line of cars? Not me!) And as long as I’m being honest, I can openly admit that my childhood fascination of superheroes and their superpowers made me feel less than adequate, unimpressive, ordinary, dull, and incapable of being someone of significance. Have you ever felt that way?
Marvel has created many movies in recent years that have topped the box-office sales, including Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. I never even knew that Ant-Man was a superhero until Marvel came out with the movie in 2015. And I was fairly certain that I wasn’t going to like the movie, but I decided to go see it anyway. To my surprise, I enjoyed the movie; in fact, I enjoyed the movie a lot. Why? Because the Holy Spirit spoke to me during that movie and gave me a message to share with everyone else: superheroes have superpowers. (Enlightening, huh?) Obviously, superheroes in the comic books and movies have superpowers. But that’s just the top layer of that truth, the scratch on the surface. We need to dig deeper. There is a greater depth to this truth that we can apply to our lives.
The superhero, Ant-Man, has a very interesting origin and storyline that parallels many of our own lives. Prior to becoming Ant-Man, he was a burglar named Scott Lang. Scott had been a misguided guy who ended up in prison. And once he got out of prison, he promised himself he wouldn’t go back to a life of crime so that he could be a good father to his daughter; however, his love for his daughter and his desire to have visitation rights with her eventually led him back into crime in hopes of gaining a lot of money in a short amount of time. But Scott soon realized the truth that there are no shortcuts to success and he ended up getting arrested yet again and sent back to prison. However, a scientist, Dr. Hank Pym, became Scott’s mentor, guided Scott and brought the good out of him. In order to radically change Scott’s life, Dr. Pym met Scott where he was currently at in life and then raised him up to use his gifts for good. Dr. Pym encouraged Scott to take what he already knew and to use it for good – to do what he hadn’t previously been able to do on his own.
Christ Jesus is our ‘doctor’ and ‘mentor.’ Dr. Pym gave Scott the ability to shrink. Jesus doesn’t give us the ability to shrink; instead, Jesus enables us with supernatural and spiritual tools in order to grow. And Jesus meets us wherever we are currently at in life. Jesus can meet someone in a prison cell, on the streets, on top of a bridge, in a car, in a shack, or even in a mansion – Jesus can save at any place and at any time! Physically, Jesus already came to us and died on the cross for us – He met us where we were! But Jesus can still meet us where we are today with the Holy Spirit. And when we accept Jesus as our Teacher, we will be able to do things that we had not previously ever been able to do on our own. Anyone can become a hero, but with Jesus, anyone can become a superhero!
“For though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth.” (2Corinthians 10:3-4) -Voice
We Are All Equipped With Spiritual Gifts:
“God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking what God has revealed, make sure what you say agrees with the Christian faith. If your gift is serving, then devote yourself to serving. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If it is encouraging others, devote yourself to giving encouragement. If it is sharing, be generous. If it is leadership, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping people in need, help them cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8) -GW[See also: 1Peter 4:10-11; 1Corinthians 12:4-11,28]
We All Possess The Ability To Tap Into Supernatural Power:
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1Corinthians 3:16) -NKJV
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” (Romans 8:11) -NLT
“I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you so that the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14) -NCV
Superman got his superpowers because he was not of this world, but he also received his powers due to the sun, which is for our world. We get our supernatural spiritual gifts due to the Son, who is for us (Romans 8:31); moreover, we are not of this world (John 17:14-18)! Jesus told us that we will do even greater things than He did because He was going to empower us to do so!
Hero Or Villain?
David understood and proclaimed his superpower! When evil threatened to conquer GOD’s people, David used his supernatural gifts of courage and faith and he said to Goliath, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1Samuel 17:45) -NLT
Mordecai used his supernatural gift of wisdom to speak into the life of Esther (Esther 4:13-14). And then Esther used her supernatural gifts of courage and faith to speak up for what was right and address the truth to the king even though she knew she could be killed for doing such a thing. However, she ended up saving an entire population of Jews (Esther 8:11-17) because she decided to speak Truth out from love (Ephesians 4:15).
We need to start realizing that we (Christians) are all superheroes who possess different powers – given to us by GOD-Almighty! Too many Christians tuck their tails between their legs and then go bury their heads in the sand. We are a new creation in Christ (2Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:1-17)! I want to reveal to you just how super you could be if only you possessed the faith necessary to allow yourself to be super.
First, we are all merely humans. All humans possess the potential of either becoming an evil villain, a citizen that merely exists in the background but is never noticed, or a hero. Just as Scott Lang was a villain (a burglar) and then transformed into a superhero known as Ant-Man, we are all quite capable of transforming and becoming greater versions of ourselves. In the Bible, Jesus transformed the evil villain Saul into the superhero of Paul (Acts 9:1-22; 13:9)! Prior to becoming the apostle Paul, he was known as Saul and he persecuted Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1-3; 9:1,4)! But when Jesus transformed Saul’s life, he became a superhero and new creation in Christ known as Paul. You have a choice. You could be:
Ant-Man: A.N.T. (Automatic Negative Thoughts): Don’t sabotage yourself! Negative thoughts eat away at life! When one ant finds its way inside to the spiritual fruits, many ants will follow and they will devour your spiritual fruits. Once you allow negative thoughts to infiltrate your mind, you then transform from Ant-Man into Can’t-Man.
Can’t-Man: C.A.N.T. (Convinced About Negative Thoughts): Once you accept the negative thoughts as truth, you speak lies and become an evil villain named Liar Man.
Liar Man:L.I.A.R. (Living Inside Adversary’s Realm): While living inside the Adversary’s realm, the Adversary introduces you to another evil villain named Doubt Man and convinces you to team up with him.
Doubt Man: D.O.U.B.T. (Destroying Our Unresolved Beliefs Tactfully): Or as my mom told me, Don’t Overthink Upon Basic Truth. While inside the Adversary’s realm, Doubt Man convinces you that you never actually knew the Truth and that you have nowhere else to go. If you have seen the 2019 movie, Dark Phoenix, you will realize that this happened to Jean Grey when the villain, Vuk, invited Jean into a house with the other aliens. While in there, Vuk tried to convince Jean that she didn’t belong anywhere else and that Vuk was her only chance because Jean had nowhere else to go. And so, Doubt Man then introduces you to another evil villain: Fear Man.
Fear Man: F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real): Doubt Man and Fear Man both convince you that happiness is the only truth and that the only way to be happy is to serve yourself. Again, an example can be seen in Dark Phoenix when Vuk said to Jean, “You’re special, Jean. And if you stop fighting that force inside you, if you embrace it, you will possess the very power of a god.” Once Doubt Man and Fear Man have convinced you that you need to seek pleasure for self to find happiness, the Adversary returns and gives you a superpower called Pride. Once you accept Pride and integrate it into your life, you become callous, live in complacency, and then become a super villain known as Chaos Man.
Chaos Man: C.H.A.O.S. (Creating Hell Amongst Others’ Souls): Once you get to the point where you have teamed up with the Adversary, you then become a super villain who destroys the loving and beautiful work of GOD and you start to create Hell for not only yourself, but also for everyone else around you.
Examine The Origin:
“You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today.” (Genesis 50:20) -CEB
Understand this: GOD can take what was meant to destroy us and then transform it for our good! The Adversary had convinced Joseph’s brothers to get rid of Joseph and sell him into slavery. Joseph found himself in a horrible place in life only for GOD to transform that bad into something good – Joseph went from being in a prison to being in a palace and saving everyone from famine.
Also, consider Moses and Rahab. Moses was a murderer, but GOD used him and transformed his bad into something good and the Israelites were freed from slavery and the terrible reign of Pharaoh. Rahab lived a life of prostitution, but GOD used her and transformed her bad into something good and her life was spared because of her decision to use her supernatural gift of faith in GOD.
Superheroes always have origins, but evil villains also have origins. Examine the origin! Both superheroes and super villains have something in common: they were both average and not super in their origins. What they both have in common is the crossroad at which they stood where they had to choose good or evil. At the crossroad is where average people either become super villains or superheroes, either traveling down the path of evil or the path of righteousness. In Dark Phoenix, Charles Xavier told a young Jean Grey that she had a gift, but it was up to her whether she would use her gift for good or evil. Adam and Eve found themselves at the crossroad and they chose to act in disobedience. Adam and Eve’s sons found themselves at the crossroad; sadly, Cain chose to do evil and murder his brother despite GOD’s warning to master his anger:
“If you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:7) –NLT
“Today I’m giving you the choice of a blessing or a curse. You’ll be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I’m giving you today. You’ll be cursed if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God, if you turn from the way I’m commanding you to live today, and if you worship other gods you never knew.” (Deuteronomy 11: 26-28) –GW
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19) –NLT
“Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. Be careful what you do, and always do what is right. Don’t turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths.” (Proverbs 4:25-27) –NCV
“There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell.” (Proverbs 14:12) –MSG
Every single person has the Fantastic Four:
Origin
Opposition
Opportunity
Outcome
Today, I am a preacher and teacher of GOD’s Word, but I didn’t start out that way. I was an atheist actor in the entertainment industry who was seeking fame and fortune. I have the same body, but I have a renewed mind and transformed spirit – I am a new creation in Christ! Batman had an origin – he witnessed his parents get murdered. This is where he met his opposition and came to a crossroad. But from the bad, Bruce Wayne discovered opportunity and out came the good. Batman is still Bruce Wayne, but he becomes a new creation when he puts on his suit and uses his utility belt. As Christians, we also have a suit (the whole armor of GOD) and a ‘utility belt’ of spiritual gifts we can use. At any given time, we can choose to use our ‘utility belt’ and pull out and use our spiritual gifts! The following is not an exhaustive list; rather, it is only a small sample of possible ‘tools’ we can choose to use for good:
Service (serving)
Instruction (teaching)
Encouragement
Compassion
Generosity
Words of life (affirmation)
Truth
Wisdom
Discernment
Joy
Peace
Forgiveness
Gentleness
Hospitality
Loyalty
Patience
Love
By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, Jesus takes you out of the Adversary’s realm and transforms all the bad into something good. Jesus was sent here on a mission of relentless rescue. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we would not be held captive in the depths of Hell. Even if you were Chaos Man prior to hearing this message, Jesus can transform you into the true person GOD has called you to be. By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will become Can Man!
Can Man: C.A.N. (Conquering Adversary’s Necrosis): It’s time to squash your automatic negative thoughts! Speak life! Yes – you can! With GOD, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37)! Know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace. Stop creating hell within yourself and for others around you. GOD transforms nothing into something! GOD transforms mistakes into miracles! Your trial can be your triumph! Your test can be your testimony! Once you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you repent from all the bad in your life, Jesus gives you forgiveness and then also heals your soul – this is called a fresh start (or clean slate)! Once you accept His forgiveness and fresh start, you become Ant-Man once again; however, you are now a new creation!
Ant Man: A.N.T. (A New Testimony): You can transform from the Ant-Man who was the negative person full of bitterness, resentment, anger, hatred, doubt, fear, etc. and become the new Ant-Man superhero simply because you have a new testimony! Once you have a personal testimony, the Adversary and his demons no longer posses power in your life! Once you accept that GOD possesses all power and authority (leaving Satan with none!), you transform from the new Ant-Man into a Christian. And a Christian is a true superhero for the Savior! Or, to say it another way, a Christian is a sidekick for the real superhero, Jesus.
Christian: I didn’t create an acronym for a Christian because it would only water down the true definition. If you are a Christian, then you are a follower of Christ Jesus. That means that you follow all that Jesus taught and commanded. And Jesus told us that we will do the great things that He did and even greater because we will be empowered by Him!
GOD equips, enables, empowers, enhances and emboldens us! We have the whole armor of GOD and we have weapons of love and Truth to combat evil. Our deeds are our seeds and the evidence of supernatural power is found in the fruit that blossoms from our seeds of deeds (Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43-44; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9).
“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” (Galatians 5:22-23) -NLV
So, are you being the superhero GOD has called you to be? You have a direct connection with the Source of Power and you have been given certain spiritual gifts of supernatural power! So, what good are you doing? Are you making others’ lives better? Are you creating joy in others’ lives? You may not be able to produce webs like Spiderman and use those webs to catch someone falling; however, you most certainly can catch someone when they fall or even pick that person back up after a fall. You may not have X-ray vision like Superman; however, you can still use the supernatural gift of discernment to see through the enemy’s schemes. You may not have super strength and the ability to lift up vehicles; however, you most certainly do possess the strength necessary to lift people up with your prayers and emotional support. You may not be able to crash through buildings due to your super-strength, but you most certainly do possess the strength necessary to be able to destroy strongholds of the enemy! Where is your fruit? If you don’t have any fruit, it’s time to start planting seeds.
If you are currently standing at the crossroad of good and evil, I invite you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and become the superhero GOD created you to be. You can change others’ lives for the better!
If you have already started traveling down the path of evil, it’s not too late to repent and turn around! Allow Jesus to transform your mistake into a miracle! Allow Jesus to transform you from a Saul to a Paul! Simply call upon Christ and ask Him to forever change your life and redirect your steps. Simply repent, accept forgiveness, accept your fresh start, begin your journey and use your spiritual gifts.
In the 2015 movie, Ant-Man, Dr. Pym said to Scott Lang, “Everyone deserves a chance for redemption.”
You deserve a chance for redemption and restoration! In fact, GOD is so loving that He is patient enough to provide everyone with an opportunity to accept Him (1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9). GOD is the GOD of second chances! GOD is the GOD of miracles! If you desire a second chance (or 3rd, 4th, or 100th), I pray right now that GOD would cleanse you of all evil, purify your heart, fill you with the Holy Spirit, anoint you, and make you fit to be who you were created and called to be!
I pray that GOD would equip you with godly ideas and empower you, enable you, and enhance your abilities! May you become the superhero GOD has created you to be! May you decide to use the spiritual gifts of supernatural power to love people into the Truth.
If you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are and desire to discover them, there are spiritual gifting tests you can use as a guide (most churches nowadays have them). However, A common problem for Christians is the temptation to get so caught up in identifying our specific spiritual gift that we only seek to serve GOD in the limited area in which we feel we have been gifted. That is not how the spiritual gifts work. GOD calls us to obediently serve Him in all things (1Samuel 10:7; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:23). He will equip us with whatever gift(s) we need to accomplish the task He calls us to do. All throughout the Bible, it is evident that GOD qualifies whom He calls, He doesn’t call the already-qualified.
Identifying our spiritual gift(s) can be accomplished in a few different ways. Spiritual gift tests or inventories, while not to be fully relied upon, can definitely help us understand where our gifting might be strongest. Confirmation from others also provides insight as to what our spiritual gift(s) might be. Other people who see us serving the Lord can often identify a spiritual gift in us that we might take for granted or not recognize. Prayer is also important. The one person who knows exactly how we are spiritually gifted is the gift-giver Himself — the Holy Spirit. We can ask GOD to show us how we are gifted in order to better use our spiritual gifts for His glory. But better yet, let us ask GOD to reveal to us what He wants us to do and then let us pray for Him to equip and enable us to do what He has called us to do. This very book is an example. When I first knew I had been called to write this book, I felt incapable of doing so. But I acted in obedience. And in the process of being obedient, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind specific ideas I hadn’t before thought about. This book was compiled piece by piece. And then all the pieces were arranged. This book took me a little over a year to write and arrange.
Obviously, some people are called to specific areas of life. GOD calls some to be teachers and gives them the gift of teaching. GOD blesses some people with awesome artistic abilities. However, specifically knowing our spiritual gift(s) does not excuse us from serving GOD in areas outside our strongest areas of gifting. Is it beneficial to know what spiritual gift(s) GOD has given us? Of course it is. Is it wrong to focus so much on specific spiritual gifts that we miss other opportunities to serve GOD? Yes. If we are dedicated to being used by GOD, He will equip us with the spiritual gifts we need and empower us to use them according to His will. Don’t refuse to serve coffee and donuts because you’re a teacher. Don’t refuse to help someone move because you’re an artist. Instead, seek to serve because you are the greatest sidekick to the greatest Superhero! Remember: the greatest superhero is the greatest servant (Matthew 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48; 22:24-26)!
The sad reality is that evil exists in this world. The evil villains possess powers to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). However, we have supernatural power through our spiritual gifts to repair, restore, heal, fulfill, and lead people to the Light. Are you using the spiritual gifts you have been given? Where is your fruit? If you don’t have fruit, it’s time to start planting seeds. There’s a real infinity war waging all around us. At the end of days, there will be a real End Game. But there’s only One way to salvation and that is through Jesus.
“ ‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.And you know the way to where I am going.’Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ ”
(John 14:1-7) -ESV
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 22 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems. In Part 13, we saw that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors! In Part 14, we saw that true superheroes do not have identity crises – they know who they are even if others don’t! In Part 15, we saw that superheroes are always ready to fight evil with the belt of Truth. In Part 16, we saw that superheroes are always ready to resist evil by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. In Part 17, we saw that superheroes are always ready to walk with purpose. In Part 18, we saw that superheroes are always ready to deflect the enemy’s attacks by holding up the shield of faith. In Part 19, we saw that by wearing the helmet of salvation, superheroes always protect themselves from evil penetrating their minds with parasitic seeds of thought that contaminate, corrupt, and control. In Part 20, we saw that by using the Sword of the Spirit, superheroes can not only block the enemy’s attacks, but also drive the enemy away. In Part 21, we saw that it matters to whom we pray.
In this message (Part 22), we will see that prayer has a purpose; furthermore, persistent and purposeful prayer with proper priority is a powerful weapon for the Savior’s superheroes.
We are instructed to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18-20).
But what is prayer? Are there examples of prayer we should follow? Is there a right or wrong way to pray? How often should we pray? Why do we need to pray? What if GOD doesn’t answer our prayers?Many people have many questions regarding prayer; many people have many different opinions regarding prayer. But what does GOD’s Word tell us about prayer? How does prayer fit in with the whole armor of GOD? Why is prayer mentioned with the Sword of the Spirit? How can prayer be a powerful weapon?
What Is Prayer?
In short, prayer is simply talking to GOD. It is the direct communication of the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Because prayer acknowledges our lack of power and also petitions acknowledgment from the Ultimate Power, the act of praying is an act of humility. The very act of producing a prayer is to admit that we need GOD. This means that prayer combats pride. For this reason alone, prayer is a weapon associated with the Sword of the Spirit that helps us cut pride out of our lives. The powerful weapon of prayer can be activated by softly spoken words that come from your audible voice, but it can also be activated from a silent scream from within your soul. Communication is the key to unlocking the power of prayer. As the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia puts it, “Christian prayer in its full New Testament meaning is prayer addressed to God as Father, in the name of Christ as Mediator, and through the enabling grace of the indwelling Spirit” (“Prayer” by J. C. Lambert).
An Example Of Prayer:
In Luke 11:1 (see also Matthew 6:9-13), one of the disciples requested that Jesus teach them how to pray. Jesus then gave them an example of a prayer:
“Jesus said, ‘This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.” ‘ “ (Luke 11:2-4) -NLT
Notice that the prayer had three parts; notice also the order in which the parts were given:
GOD’s Kingdom is priority number one (Your will be done, not mine: Matthew 6:33; 26:39).
Secondly, may we receive all that we need (gratitude and contentment: Philippians 4:11-13).
Lastly, keep us from all that we do not need (faith/trust in GOD: Psalm 9:10; 28:7; 31:14; 37:5; 84:12; Proverbs 3:5-8).
Just as GOD provided for the Israelites with daily manna (Exodus 16:4,19), GOD is to be our ‘daily bread’ (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). We need GOD every new day just as much as we did the day before. We must communicate with GOD on a daily basis. In Luke 11:5-13, after Jesus provides an example of prayer, Jesus then teaches His disciples two important things to remember in regards to prayer:
We need to be persistent in our prayers.
GOD is faithful and will provide.
Is There A Right Or Wrong Way To Pray?
Those of us who attend church have most likely noticed that people tend to both worship and pray differently from each other. Some people are standing up, but others are sitting down, kneeling, or even prostrating themselves flat on the ground. Some people have their hands open, some have their hands closed, but some have their hands lifted up as if trying to touch GOD in Heaven. Is there a right or wrong way to pray? Are we holy when we close our eyes during prayer and unholy if our eyes are open? Is it better to pray in a church building or out in nature? Do we have to bow our heads? Do we have to put our hands together? Should we pray in the morning when we get up or at night before we go to bed? Are there certain words we need to say in our prayers? What if we forget to say those specific words or phrases? How do we begin our prayers? What is the proper way to close a prayer? If we don’t pray properly, will our prayers not be answered? Are prayers only answered for those who give the most money to the church? Does GOD not answer my prayers because I’ve been struggling with sins? These questions, and many others, are frequently asked questions regarding prayer.
Jesus shined some light on what’s important in prayer:
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
(Matthew 6:5-8) -NLT
Prayer is genuine, open, honest, and real. So, talk. It’s that simple. However, some people might wonder why we need to pray if GOD already knows what we need. Well, prayer is not a means of asking for what we want. Prayer is a connection between us and GOD; in prayer, we are connected with our Christ-compass and it keeps us in alignment with GOD’s will. A healthy relationship requires constant communication. Therefore, talk. However, pray with purpose. Prayer is a way for us to discover what we need rather than request what we want.
“The Holy Spirit takes hold of us in our human frailty to empower us in our weakness. For example, at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words.God, the searcher of the heart, knows fully our longings, yet he also understands the desires of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for us, his holy ones, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and our destiny.”
(Romans 8:26-27) -TPT
We don’t always need to know what to pray for or exactly how to pray, but we do need to pray at all times and on every occasion. Philippians 4:6 instructs us to pray about everything. Everything? Yes. 1Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to pray without ceasing. Without ceasing? At all times? Yes. Even without speaking words, our soul can still cry out to the Lord. GOD must be in everything we do, not just some of what we do. Jesus did not provide to us an exact prayer to repeat; rather, He gave us a simple example to follow. There does not exist a magic formula to prayer. In fact, it’s possible to say all the right things yet not believe in any of them. GOD’s Word tells us that GOD looks at our hearts (1Samuel 16:7).
Praying expectantly is the natural response to living out a faith-filled life. GOD is there, GOD is aware, and GOD does care. Jesus clearly teaches us to expect answers to prayers that are specific and persistent. However, Scripture never presumes prayer will remove all suffering. It’s important to know what to expect while praying expectantly. We are to expect that GOD’s will is the way and that GOD’s will is what is best and right. Should we expect answers for prayers? Absolutely. But we should not be so naive to believe that the answer will arrive as we demand or believe it should. Our answer may arrive as a “no” while we are still alive or it may even arrive after we leave Earth to be in the presence of GOD. Consider Joseph from the Bible. If we had been with Joseph, we might have prayed for him to be delivered from his brothers and not to be sold into slavery. But if that prayer was granted, Joseph never would have saved Egypt and the lives of his family later on. If we had been with Mary and Martha, we might have prayed for Lazarus not to die. But if that prayer had been granted, the glory of GOD would not have been revealed when Jesus rose him from the dead. How many people prayed for Jesus to save Himself and be spared from crucifixion? Had that prayer been granted, Jesus would not have accomplished His mission to save all of humanity. We are to expect answers to our prayers, but we must above all else expect that GOD’s will be done. Prayer is not our last resort before deciding to abort because we came up short; prayer is our first concentrated effort and direct line of support. Prayer is not our last option before collapsing into a coffin; it is our first response of action, second to none, priority number one. The power behind prayer is the purpose that propels it forward.
Praying persistently provides opportunity for us to discover the value for whatever it is we are praying. If something is important, we make it a priority and continue to ask GOD for a way. Persistent prayer makes us more Christlike by tempering our human selfishness and by strengthening our divine dependence. The Bible reveals that many believers prayed for months or even years before finally receiving an answer. Persistent prayer must be met with patience and the ability to forbear. The Bible reveals that people who were commended with great faith often didn’t receive immediate answers to prayers. Faithful prayer is not distinguished by the immediacy of answers but by the persistency of the petitions. Expecting immediate answers is a sign of immaturity. Christ’s ministry, from conception to the cross, took years to fulfill. The Jewish people had prayed for centuries for their Messiah. And when Jesus finally arrived, some people prayed for Him to provide immediate political, military, or economic deliverance, but GOD had a better plan. We trust our Savior because He works perfectly, not because He works quickly. GOD is not limited by our time and He answers prayers in His perfect time. We do not need to see the result of our prayers in our lifetime to know that GOD will do what is best and right in the eternal picture. GOD knits together a blanket of love of His purposes from the yarn of our prayers and circumstances, but in His knowledge, His power, and His time.
Prayers that are answered too soon can create complacency and can desensitize us to our need for patience through our persistence. Understanding GOD’s primary goal that our prayers is for our spiritual transformation helps explain the delay for some requests. We may desire a change in our current circumstances when GOD desires first a change within our hearts, minds, character, and overall attitudes. We want quick solutions, but GOD wants growth in our patience and trust. We may want a problem out of our lives when GOD wants us to learn how to overcome those problems so that we might be able to help others overcome at a later time. We may want an end to the pressure of life’s demands, but GOD might desire for that pressure to transform us into spiritual diamonds. Delayed answers do not necessarily mean that our prayers are wrong, but neither is it wrong to consider altering or refining our prayers. For prayers, it is most important that our petitions are in alignment with GOD’s will. If our prayers are in alignment with GOD’s Word and GOD’s ways, then we may be persistent in our prayers. However,patience must accompany persistence or else our persistence can transform into our own pain that plagues us with an irrational fear of unfulfilled purpose.
Praying in GOD’s will within the boundary of righteousness is necessary for praying what is right. If a football player runs too far in either direction of left or right, he will be out of bounds. Only while staying within the set boundaries and progressing forward can a football player achieve a first down or score a touchdown. We can view the boundary on the right as the line of righteousness and the boundary on the left as the line of wisdom or prudence. GOD grants whatever we ask in prayer if it is in agreement with His will. We head in the wrong direction if we pray for what is wrong in hopes of arriving at the right destination. Asking for what is wrong to hopefully end up in the right cannot be GOD’s will. Discerning righteousness keeps our decisions and petitions in prayer from going out of bounds. GOD’s Word is more authoritative than personal feelings or priorities. Rearranging the order to accommodate personal agenda is to pray outside of GOD’s will and we will find ourselves outside the boundary of righteousness. Our feelings become our authority whenever they determine the priorities of our prayers. Praying in Jesus’ name requires that we give His Word authority over our desires. A football player’s obedience to the rules of the game ensures his continuance in the game without penalties. Likewise, a Christian’s obedience to GOD’s Word (rules) ensures righteousness and his/her continuance in life without penalties (negative consequences brought about by sinful disobedience). One simply cannot know what is righteous unless that person knows GOD’s Word. Because “it is written” for a reason, we must know what is written, understand what is written, and apply what is written to our daily decisions.
Praying in GOD’s wisdom within the boundary of prudence keeps us from being nearsighted and noncompliant. As a Christian, we should not make decisions based on worldly priorities. We must be mindful of our motives. The boundary of righteousness determines whether our decision is moral; the boundary of prudence helps us determine if the decision is wise. Are our prayers loving? Loving prayers place others’ needs and interests before our own (Philippians 2:3-8). We must consider others as we weigh the appropriateness of our prayers (1Thessalonians 4:9-12). We should not pray for GOD to bless choices that disregard the welfare of other loved ones. We should not pray to be lifted up if our elevation causes others to sink. Instead, we should pray to be lifted up so that we may be in a position to help pull others out of despair. It is wise to do our best and then pray for GOD to take care of the rest. Are our prayers legitimate? Legitimate prayers weigh GOD’s interests above our own (1Corinthians 10:31). While there is nothing intrinsically evil about a life lived without concerns, Christians should question whether such a carefree life is in alignment with Biblical requirements to love others. If GOD blesses us with a favorable answer to a prayer, would we use that opportunity to advance the Kingdom of GOD or to keep the blessing for selfish gain? Our prayers are in His will only when the glory of His name is our highest aim. Are our prayers responsible? We cannot pray according to GOD’s will and prioritize according to our own. Are we using our abilities in a responsible manner? We should pray for GOD to use our gifts for Jesus’ sake, rather than praying others will serve our interests. We must always listen to our own prayers with an ear as to whether they are designed to make us givers or takers. We should pray for GOD to guide us away from the desire to seek our good at the expense of others or GOD’s glory. If we are seeking for self, we are acting irresponsibly. The bottom line for responsible prayers: do they further the cause of Christ and do they further His cause without violating the principles of His Kingdom?
Praying forward is the praying ourselves into growth. We are not moving forward unless we are walking in step with GOD. The truest and deepest joys follow prayers that are loving, legitimate, and responsible. We are to consider biblical priorities over worldly pragmatics. When we depend on the quantity or quality of our prayer (or fasting or study or sacrifice) to determine its spiritual effectiveness, we imprison GOD within the limits of our abilities. GOD hears our prayers because of His mercy, not because of our mastery of them or of Him. What matters is the motive, not the mantra. We discern whether our patterns of prayer are accomplishing GOD’s purposes by asking ourselves why we are praying for what we are praying and why we are praying so habitually. As our thoughts, attitudes, and actions are increasingly controlled by the Word and by our union with Christ, our inclinations conform more and more to GOD’s will. Our prayers align with GOD’s desires, because that which grieves Him grieves us and that which pleases Him pleases us. When life becomes immersed in prayer, increasingly we understand that we take no step without GOD’s aid, and we take every step forward with His blessing.
GOD answers prayer requests based on whether they are asked according to His will and in the name of Jesus (to bring glory to Jesus). The ultimate example of prayer can be found in Matthew 26:39,42,44 when Jesus concludes His prayer by saying, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” In all of our prayers, we must be seeking first the Kingdom of GOD (Matthew 6:33). Like Hannah pouring out her soul (1Samuel 1:15), the proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to GOD, being open, honest and real with GOD, as He already knows us better than we know ourselves.
Ask And It Will Be Given To You:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
(Matthew 7:7-8; see also Luke 11:5-13) -ESV
James, the brother of Jesus, explains the special stipulation to this promise of receiving after asking:
“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”
(James 4:2-3) -NLT
Our desires need to be in alignment with GOD’s will. But knowing GOD requires faith, focus, and follow-through. Jesus promises a reward for the passionate pursuit of seeking GOD’s will. Before making requests, we should ask ourselves three important questions:
For what are you asking?
Why are you asking for this request?
Does this request first focus on the Kingdom of GOD?
Seek First The Kingdom of GOD:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) -NLT
“Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we present any request agreeable to his will, he will hear us.And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we also know that we have obtained the requests we ask of him.”
(1John 5:14-15) -TPT
Praying in Jesus’ name requires placing the priorities of Christ before our own. It’s imperative that Christ comes first. Too often our prayers are like Christmas wish lists for Santa Claus rather than meaningful conversations with our Creator. GOD is not a genie in a magic lamp who exists to grant our wishes at our will. The purpose of prayer is not to get what we want. GOD is not a celestial vending machine who dispenses miracles or blessings simply because we input our ‘faith coins’ into a prayer request. We must ensure that our prayers are not spiritual coins being shoved into the celestial slot machine — methodically, ritualistically, and mechanically — with the hope of divine payout.
Proper prayer must put more trust in GOD’s will than human desire. When GOD’s people pray in the name of Jesus, they indicate that they are seeking to bring Christ the glory. To do anything in the Lord’s name means to do it for His purposes. Praying in Jesus’ name keeps our prayers mature and in proper alignment with GOD’s will. If the motive behind every prayer is for the name of GOD to be glorified, we need not doubt that He will answer according to His perfect will. Trust in GOD is not based on our circumstances but on His character. If we truly grasp the goodness of GOD, our prayers don’t seek GOD for our purposes, but to offer ourselves for His purposes.
Here is a challenging question regarding your prayers: If GOD answered all your prayers, would others’ lives be changed or only your own? Prayer is also a way to love others. We should pray for others. But we should also pray that GOD’s will be done. In the connection of prayer, the goal is to come into alignment with GOD’s will. Prayer, like love, has proper priorities:
GOD
Others
Self
What If GOD Doesn’t Answer My Prayers?
Praying without doubting is to simply have faith in our loving Father and know that GOD’s will is what is best and right. We are not to believe that GOD will respond to every prayer request with a ‘yes’ answer. GOD always answers prayers with either a yes, no, not yet, not quite, or better yet. GOD often does better than what we ask for ourselves and exceeds expectations. Too often confident prayers transform into doubt simply because the answer doesn’t match our unrealistic expectations or the answer is not immediate. It is not wise to believe that our expected result is the best result; it is immature to believe that answers need to be immediate. To pray without doubt is to believe that our answer is on the way or GOD has something better in mind. Answers to prayers don’t need to accommodate specific individual demands in order to fulfill desires and bless everyone. If all personal prayers were affirmed and granted, what would keep the world from exploding into a zillion shards of personal priorities and prevent contradictions and catastrophe? Praying without doubt is recognizing that a ‘no’ answer might just be the best answer. The inconvenience of delayed prayers and even denied prayers may actually save our lives.
Before we adopt a prayer philosophy that requires GOD to provide all our wants, we must adjust our thinking to consider the limitations of our understanding. To pray without doubt is to recognize that we are finite and fallible beings, but we pray to the Eternal One who does what is best and right. We do not doubt GOD, but we may doubt ourselves. Luke 23:34 calls attention to the fact that we may not know what’s best for us even when we think we do. Proper belief is not unwavering confidence that something we want will happen but that something will happen that we will eventually recognize to be something we needed. GOD knows the future we cannot discern and consequences we cannot anticipate. His thoughts and ways are far above our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). The Bible’s message of a sovereign GOD who rules over all things in all places among all people and for eternity answers simply to calm our hearts and stimulate our prayers: “GOD is able.” It is important to thank GOD for all the ‘no’ answers. All the ‘no’ answers eventually lead to the ‘yes’ moment. Remember: when you pray, it is important to pray for the right reasons. Though there is no mandated mantra that needs to be memorized, there does exist a proper priority for prayer. Motive matters.
How Can Prayer Be A Powerful Weapon?
GOD is the ultimate Power (Genesis 1; Exodus 7:10-14:31; 1Kings 17:14-24; 2Kings 4:2-7; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:27; Daniel 2:21; 3:19-27; Matthew 8:1-4; 9:27-31; 17:24-27; Mark 4:35-41; 16:1-8; Luke 1:37; 9:10-17; John 6:16-21).
Prayer is a petition to the Powerful One.
The High Priest has direct access to Power (Exodus 28; Hebrews 9:7).
Jesus is both the Priest and Power (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14; 5:6; 9:12; 10:19-20).
The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same Spirit that dwells within us (Romans 8:10-11).
The Holy Spirit ensures that our prayers are received and understood (Romans 8:26-27).
Because of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit, we now have direct access to Power and are able to bring our petitions straight to the Source of Power.
GOD is love and all-good (1John 4:8,16: Psalm 106:1; 135:3; Nahum 1:7; Mark 10:18; John 3:16-17; Galatians 5:22; 2Thessalonians 1:11; Titus 3:4). Because GOD is love and all-good, GOD will hear our prayers.
GOD is Holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1John 1:5; Revelation 4:8; 15:4). GOD is just (Acts 17:31; Revelation 20:12). If GOD is Holy and just, then GOD will act in His power to do what is best and what is right.
In the end, good prevails and GOD wins (Revelation 20-22) because we know that for those who love GOD all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
If our prayers are in alignment with GOD’s will, our prayers have the power of the inevitable victory that belongs to GOD and His people.
Therefore, persistent and purposeful prayers with proper priority are powerful.
Persistent And Purposeful Prayer With Proper Priority Is Powerful:
Praying boldly is a right granted to us as children of GOD through the blood of Christ who died for us. We can do away with rigmarole of religious rituals, pious performances, superficial celebrations, and pseudo-sacrifices. As a child approaches a loving father, we may approach our loving Father with confidence. We do not need to depend on stodgy formulas or arcane speech. GOD is more concerned with hearing our prayers than grading their forms. If you have children of your own, you understand that you want your children to call you when they are in distress, without being timid or hesitant to do so. You want to hear from them because you are delighted to provide the best for them. With these fatherly desires in our own hearts, we discover the boldness the Father GOD expects from us (Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:5-13). Those who truly discover the power of His abiding presence of love do not reserve prayer for periods of isolated retreat when a miracle is needed. How strong can a relationship be if a child only calls the parents once in a blue moon to ask for money? Neither should we only pray once in a blue moon when we need a miracle or a blessing. If our prayers are only formal or occasional, we will miss out on the comfort and blessing of knowing we can pray anytime to our GOD who is attentive to our needs (Psalm 34:15). We may pray about mustard seeds in addition to the mountains; we may pray about colds in addition to cancer; we may pray praises of blessings in addition to petitions to problems. Super prayers are for all superheroes, even if the situation doesn’t demand a super need. As a child of GOD, we can pray confidently and boldly anytime, anywhere, with anyone, and about anything! Because prayer is a connection with the Source of Power, prayer is a powerful weapon that casts the enemy back and propels us forward in faith. Because prayer is a connection with the Source of Power, it brings Light into our lives.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) -ESV
“For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness.” (2Samuel 22:29; see also Psalm 18:28) -ESV
[ For an example of a powerful prayer, CLICK HERE ]
Quest For Truth 